The British Standards Institute (BSI) has published a new code of practice to help organisations create a more diverse and inclusive culture. The code of practice (PAS 1948), sponsored by the All-In Diversity project, was created in response to organisations seeking guidance and looking to develop and implement an effective DEI framework. The standard, which is free to download, is intended to help organisations implement a solution that works for them, areas covered include understanding and implementing concepts such as ‘diversity of thought’, ‘dimensions of diversity’, ‘intercultural competence’, and ‘cognitive diversity’. It also covers practical measures around recruitment and retention DEI, and how organisations can address behaviour which is consistent with DEI principles; as well as how to engage and support underrepresented social and cultural groups.
Other areas of focus include:
Identifying appropriate DEI learning and development needs.
Creating inclusive brands, customer engagement and workplace culture.
Incorporating DEI principles into an organisations internal policies, practices, and processes.
Establishing the organisational benefits of creating and maintaining effective culture of DEI.
Setting achievable targets and objectives and measuring progress.
The practice is aimed at organisations in all sectors in any country, and applies to traditional offices and industrial environments, but also workplaces such as zoos, sports arenas, or film sets.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace
Combining three elements, DE&I is an ethos that recognises the value of diverse voices and emphasises inclusivity and employee well-being as central facets of success. To bring those values to life, companies must implement programs and initiatives that actively make their offices more diverse, equitable and inclusive.
DEI strategies should be tailored to the specific needs and challenges of each organisation. This can include cultural competency training to foster understanding and appreciation of different cultures and backgrounds, update of inclusive policies to ensure they don’t inadvertently discriminate against any group or offering flexible work schedules or remote work options to accommodate employees’ diverse needs. According to Forbes, firms that display culturally and ethnically diverse executive teams are 33 percent more likely to lead their industries to profitability. Its essential to regularly evaluate and adapt your initiatives to ensure they remain effective and relevant in creating truly inclusive workplaces.
Having a lack of diversity and inclusion within your teams means that you’re potentially missing out on reaching a huge portion of your customer base. For example, around 14 million people are disabled in the UK, this demographic in particular has a spending power of £247 billion a year. If a company doesn’t hire someone on the team with a disability they may not truly understand what it is a person with disabilities needs or what their every-day struggles are.
DE&I is vital to creating and maintaining a successful workplace, one founded on the principle that all people can thrive personally and professionally. It has grown in popularity among candidates and employees. In fact three-fourths of job seekers and employees treat DEI as a major factor when weighing job offers and companies. Candidates recognise the positive effects of an environment that welcomes a variety of backgrounds, this brings a range of new and creative ideas to the workplace where employees feel they have intrinsic worth, not in spite of their differences but because of their differences.
Most workers have some experience with DEI measures at their workplace. About six in ten (61%) say their company or organisation has policies that ensure fairness in hiring, pay or promotions, and 52% say they have trainings or meetings on DEI at work. Companies that embrace a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture not only open their potential talent pool, but they are enhancing the overall employee experience. Deloitte found that companies with more diverse teams have a 22% lower turnover rate than companies that aren’t diverse. People want to stay with companies that embrace who they are and encourage them to grow, this is highlighted in research indicating a desire for diverse workplaces, especially amongst Generation Z.
How Can Wellity Support Your Teams?
Here at Wellity we offer a four part series focusing on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity – ‘We Belong’. Through often used interchangeably, diversity, equity, and inclusion are interrelated yet distinct and separate concepts. This series focuses on educating and empowering attendees in differentiating these terms and creating a shared meaning for application in their working lives.
Throughout the programme, attendees will b invited to reflect on their own experiences and levels of unconscious bias, confronting the realities of every-day working life and tackling beliefs and barriers to their commitment to evoking a sense of belonging for all.
Completion of the programme will enable attendees to truly understand the role everyone plays as an individual part of the whole organisational mission towards DE&I, and how together it is possible to create a working culture where everyone feels they truly belong.
For any information on this training title, or to book a meeting with our team, contact us at hello@wellityglobal.com.